Aesthetic treatments are becoming increasingly popular amongst men. Usually, they make up a significantly smaller percentage of the patient group at a clinic compared to women, but some doctors find that 50 per cent of their clientele is male. The awareness of treatments for men has lagged behind that for women, but the market is certainly growing each year.

Non-surgical treatments often work better for men than facelifts, which can sometimes look unnatural. On the other hand, injectables provide subtle changes that help us achieve a more youthful, defined appearance. They are swift, straightforward, effective and have very minimal downtime compared to that of surgery.

Why are aesthetic treatments for men growing in popularity?

I think that as time progresses, men are seeking new ways to look and feel vibrant and energetic into older age. Many men are working later in life than they used to, and they’re also potentially competing for job roles with younger men. I also believe that the increase in awareness of treatments has been fuelled by influencers and the media and by men who are clearly looking good and embracing self-care.

Social media has changed the way we all view ourselves, men included. Consistently seeing images of what is perceived as male perfection every time you scroll through your social media can negatively impact you, especially during your formative years.

In my opinion, men need practical information about treatments more than women – they rarely read magazines or blogs, and they certainly don’t talk about treatments with their friends. Yet, they a lot of misconceptions about what aesthetic treatments do.

So many people think that fillers just give you ‘duck lips’ or over contoured cheeks, but we can actually use them very precisely, and the result can either masculine or feminise a face. They’re designed to give subtle, structural improvements rather than to make people look artificial.

Men have seen these extreme results in women that appear to be a chase for ‘over feminisation’, which, unfortunately, they then think will automatically happen to them.

Aesthetic treatments for men

While many treatments are suitable for both men and women, there are a few that are particularly popular amongst men…

Jaw augmentation

The jaw is the foundation of the lower face, but as we age, we experience a loss of definition in this area as the bones begin to recede.

Using dermal filler in the lower part of a weak or receding jawbone can project the chin further forward and improve the side profile, balancing it with the other features of the face to give a sharper, more masculine profile.

CoolSculpting

CoolSculpting, as the name suggests, uses controlled cooling to freeze and eliminate stubborn fat cells beneath the skin. Initially, doctors noticed that children who ate a lot of ice lollies had more sunken cheeks. After further investigation, they found that fat cells are more susceptible to cold than other types of cells. So, cooling stubborn pockets of fat causes the underlying fat to freeze and be destroyed before being naturally eliminated from the body.

CoolSculpting is popular amongst men as it allows them to target stubborn pockets of fat discretely yet effectively. As we age, both men and women are more susceptible to gaining excessive fat around the abdomen that’s difficult to eliminate, no matter how much they diet or exercise.

You may need a course of treatments to get the best possible outcome, but most patients can return to work straight after the treatment, so it doesn’t have the downtime associated with more invasive surgical procedures like liposuction.

HydraFacial

The HydraFacial isn’t your typical facial. It’s not designed to be pampering or relaxing, but it’s incredibly effective. The six-step customisable treatment process is designed to tackle all manner of skin conditions, such as redness, dryness, pigmentation, ageing, acne, and dullness. After just one hour, your skin will glow, look tighter and brighter, giving that ‘eight hours sleep and five servings of fruits and veg’ radiance – but without the effort.

Anti-wrinkle injections

The primary way to quieten lines on the forehead or around the eyes is with injections of wrinkle-relaxing toxins. Many men worry that they’ll look frozen, or they’ll be unable to move their eyebrows, but any good practitioner will aim to leave your face looking younger and smoother but still very much functional.

A sprinkling of wrinkle-relaxing injections to soften the crow’s feet and smoothe forehead lines is sometimes all you need to look refreshed and years younger.

PRP for hair loss

Thinning hair can be a real blow to confidence, and studies show that 50% of men may experience some degree of hair loss in their lifetime.

For men it is usually genetic, and the typical male pattern baldness can start as early as their late teens or early 20s for some.

But there are options available that can help. PRP therapy boosts hair growth, helping to restore self-esteem. PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma – this is the concentrated platelets taken from our blood. Rich in growth factors, PRP helps to stimulate hair growth and thicken the existing hair on your head.

During treatment, your practitioner will take a vial of your blood, usually no more than the average blood test would require, and they’ll spin it in a centrifuge to produce plasma rich in platelets. These are then infused or injected into your scalp, where they’ll release growth factors and encourage hair growth.